Madrid Masters Thread

[JuliusHMarx]

First topic message reminder :

Take it away Jahu.

[CaledonianCraig]

Forehad winners to unforced for Nadal

14-2...

Not sure Berdy can do much else

Precisely. Berdych doing no different to what every other player has found V Nadal on clay in his career.

[Josiah Maiestas]

Forehad winners to unforced for Nadal

14-2...

Not sure Berdy can do much else

He could learn how to use his body when he moves to the other side, that would be a good start.

[temporary21]

He smacking the lines with every FH, Berdys not missing his replies, hes being left completely off balance

[laverfan]

Well played, Nadal. Good to see him with more confidence.

[summerblues]

Well done Rafa.

As I have been saying all along, he remains the RG favorite for me. He is not even playing his best, yet he easily disposes of a top 10 player.

[CaledonianCraig]

Rafa in best form I have seen from him in a year. Life is looking rosier now for him.

[temporary21]

Good stuff. Only Novak could beat Rafa in that form. Rafas job now is to stay that consistent and not drop off.

[Josiah Maiestas]

Terrible from Berd. Haven't seen a more abject top 8 player in my life.

Robot goes through to play hopefully Nishikori, do the right thing Kei

[temporary21]

Will Kei be the most abject top 4 player if he cant beat Rafa too? Berdy gave his best, that rafa will be hard to stop

[Josiah Maiestas]

Kei will never be as tepid and mundane as Berdych that's for sure, even if he loses 6-2 6-0.

[Silver]

Well done Nadal, fantastic win given his recent form. Big confidence booster for sure.

Djokovic still heavy RG favourite for me.

[Josiah Maiestas]

Rafa was average for the most part and he knew Tomas would be very weak minded. The only reason Tomas beat him in AO was down to Rafa not wanting to be called a bully and beating Tomas for an 18th straight time.

[Jahu]

Good stuff. Only Novak could beat Rafa in that form. Rafas job now is to stay that consistent and not drop off.

Nadal was lets put it mildly at max 65% of real Nadal.

What match did you watch?

[Josiah Maiestas]

Good stuff. Only Novak could beat Rafa in that form. Rafas job now is to stay that consistent and not drop off.

Nadal was lets put it mildly at max 65% of real Nadal.

What match did you watch?

He was a little less mundane than Tomas was, that's the reality of what most people saw.

[summerblues]

Nadal was lets put it mildly at max 65% of real Nadal.

Agree.  Nadal was playing ok but by no means great.  But that just makes it more frightening for the opposition at RG.  He was playing only ok here, yet he dismantled Berdych.  I am sure he will be playing better there.  The only guy who will be able to take him out there is Nole - and even he might fail.

Good luck to Kei (or Andy????) tomorrow.

[temporary21]

Good stuff. Only Novak could beat Rafa in that form. Rafas job now is to stay that consistent and not drop off.

Nadal was lets put it mildly at max 65% of real Nadal.

What match did you watch?

The Nadal that had 14-2 winners unforced on his fh. If that's 65 percent Nadal then Novak better be saying his prayers...

[temporary21]

Kei will never be as tepid and mundane as Berdych that's for sure, even if he loses 6-2 6-0.

The berdych that turned Nadal over in straight sets at the AO?

[Josiah Maiestas]

Rafa was average for the most part and he knew Tomas would be very weak minded. The only reason Tomas beat him in AO was down to Rafa not wanting to be called a bully and beating Tomas for an 18th straight time.

I talked about that 1 off here temp.

Enjoy your nights

[Jahu]

I think Ninja should slash Andy tonight, sure Andy has had a good clay run, now needs a little slap and a loss to make him love clay even more, bit of a rage inside to want it more.

Does this sound logical?

[CaledonianCraig]

Jeez it really sticks in people's craws to give Rafa any modicum of credit and if they do they have to add a caveat to downplay the performance.

Rafa beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets and Rafa had the dtl winner back in operation, consistency was good as was the focus and confidence. Berdych lost the first set on a tirbreaker so to suggest he was weak or rubbish is disrespectful or pathetic. The bloke just can't beat Rafa on clay but where is the disgrace in that? Who can at the business end of big tournaments? Just remember that this was a Masters semi so Berdych is certainly not weak to get to that stage.

[Jahu]

CC still pushing down our throat Rafa on every post, for the sake of HN.

More writing about Rafa from him, then about Andy, these last 2 months.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well you don't need to take my word for how well Rafa played as:-

Sky report includes 'continued to look more like his old self'

http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/12040/9843132/rafael-nadal-beats-tomas-berdych-to-reach-madrid-open-final

ATP site called it 'a devastating display'

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/05/18/Madrid-Saturday-SF-Nadal-Berdych.aspx

And BBC say 'the Spaniard appears to be hitting peak form'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/32675006

But hey ho what do they all know eh.

[It Must Be Love]

From what I saw Nadal was playing very well, not at his absolute best, but far too much for Tomas.

[CaledonianCraig]

From what I saw Nadal was playing very well, not at his absolute best, but far too much for Tomas.

Yes and that is how I saw it. And that does not mean Berych was weak or terrible in any way. Simply he is not good enough to beat Rafa playing very good on a surface he has owned throughout his career.

[Jahu]

Come in Ninja, nail him with some shuriken's.

[JuliusHMarx]

Come in Ninja, nail him with some shuriken's.

I'm not shuriken.

[Jahu]

Hahah, you got some fun in you after all, Doc

[Guest]

That was some BH!

[Jahu]

Andys BH on fire.

So far Andy better player, Kei hanging on.

[CaledonianCraig]

It is a match that will give us a good idea where Andy's game is at on clay at the moment. Nishikori is in the top five clay courters at the moment for me so this is a very good test.

[CaledonianCraig]

Murray gets the break he had been threatening. Playing some real good clay court stuff here.

[Guest]

Murray breaks. This is such a tantalisingly close match thus far.

[Jahu]

Kei starting to melt.

[Guest]

He needs a snickers Jahu. You're not yourself when you're hungry

[Guest]

Murray takes the first set. Murray just pulling away towards the end there and Nishikori making more errors.

[CaledonianCraig]

Andy Murray breaks again to take the first set 6-3. If Nishi wants to win this he will need to do what no other player has done this year V Andy. Come from a set down to win.

[Jahu]

Andy at this quality, can beat Rafa tomorrow, easy in 2 sets.

[Guest]

Easy there Jahu. No jinxing!

[CaledonianCraig]

Andy at this quality, can beat Rafa tomorrow, easy in 2 sets.

Steady on eh? We are talking about the greatest claycourter to ever play the game in Rafa.

[temporary21]

Easy Gents, the second set murray let down is incoming

[summerblues]

I see I got the start of this match wrong by one hour and missed all of the first set.

[CaledonianCraig]

Easy Gents, the second set murray let down is incoming

Can I have the lottery numbers please temp?

[Jahu]

Kei breaks and dishes some lessons to Andy which becomes breathless.

Keep it up.

[summerblues]

Was it more Andy playing well or Nishi not so well in the first set?

[CaledonianCraig]

I see I got the start of this match wrong by one hour and missed all of the first set.

I blame you.

Nishi breaks for the first time in the match but trails 3-6 1-2.

[Jahu]

Andy at this quality, can beat Rafa tomorrow, easy in 2 sets.

Steady on eh? We are talking about the greatest claycourter to ever play the game in Rafa.

You forgot to add that the greatest clay courter is not so great on clay anymore.

[LuvSports!]

Nishi plays better, Murray;s level drops = break.

[Jahu]

Was it more Andy playing well or Nishi not so well in the first set?

Andy was playing well, cause Nishi not so well.

[CaledonianCraig]

Was it more Andy playing well or Nishi not so well in the first set?

Hard to say. Probably a bit of both.

[summerblues]

Poor drop shot from Andy. Reminded me of his early days.

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